Apostille for US Documents — State & Federal

Yes. Every US state has a Secretary of State office authorized to apostille documents originating in that state. The process and fees vary by state, but all are valid under the 1961 Hague Convention.

State apostilles are issued by a state's Secretary of State and cover documents originating in that state — birth certificates, marriage licenses, court orders, notarized documents. Federal apostilles are issued only by the U.S. Department of State and cover documents issued by federal agencies, including FBI records, federal court documents, and documents signed by certain federal officials.

No. FBI records are federal documents. Only the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications has jurisdiction to apostille them. State Secretary of State offices will refuse or invalidly process these documents. We route all FBI apostille requests to the correct federal authority.

Federal documents: use the U.S. Department of State and its published timelines — mail processing is currently within five weeks from receipt, and the seven-business-day in-person option has special eligibility criteria. State documents: use the issuing state's Secretary of State or other designated authority, with state-specific fees and timing (each state authority publishes its own processing times; no single U.S.-wide statute applies). No single U.S.-wide SLA applies. We always quote you the most current processing times before starting.

All 120+ member countries of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention accept US apostilles. This includes Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, most EU countries, the UK, Australia, and many others. Where the Convention is not in force between the US and the destination (e.g., the UAE or Qatar), consular legalization is required instead. Note: China (in force 7 November 2023) and Canada (11 January 2024) are now Convention members — US apostilles work there for covered documents.

It depends on the receiving authority, not on the apostille itself: that office determines whether the underlying document, the apostille certificate, or both must be translated, and which translator and format it accepts. Where translation is required — for example, many Spanish immigration procedures ask for a translation admitted in Spain (RD 724/2020, art. 17) — we handle it in all major languages, coordinated with the apostille to avoid delays.

Yes. You do not need to be in the state that issued the document. We submit to the Secretary of State of the issuing state on your behalf, regardless of where you are located — domestically or internationally.

Cost varies by state, document type, and service level. State apostilles typically range from $50–$150 for our service (including state fees and handling). Federal apostilles start at $149. Contact us for an exact quote based on your specific document and destination country.